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POSSIBLE: getting an education at Minnesota’s Private Colleges

Diverse

Fact: More than 14% of first-year students come from underrepresented groups. More diversity facts.

“I’m the first in my family to consider a private institution and graduate from it. I should be able to get the opportunities that my parents didn’t have.”
—Ma Lee Vang '07, Gustavus Adolphus College

Excellent

Fact: Our focus is on excellence in undergraduate teaching and learning. Our courses are taught by highly-qualified faculty. More facts about excellence.

“I am an experiential learner. I have done more in my four years here, than I could have ever imagined. Some people may think that a four-year liberal arts school is a small experience. Actually, we are required to take a wide range of classes that allow us to become more open-minded and see the world through many different lenses.”
—Misty Martinez ’07, College of Saint Benedict

See A focus on teaching.

Affordable

Fact: More than 44% of private college students come from families with incomes below $70,000 — about the same proportion as the U of M. More facts about financial access.

“It’s been a challenge for our family to support two kids in college, with the knowledge that there are still two more behind us. My parents think that Minnesota’s Private Colleges are worth the investment. The scholarships have really helped our family offset some of the expense of attending college.”
—Lisa Tann Erlandson, St. Olaf

“Without the help of my grants and scholarships, I would not be able to afford to attend a school like Macalester. I have still taken out student loans, but the grants have allowed me to rest a little easier.”
—Katie Lim, Macalester College

See Affording a Minnesota private college education.

Personalized

“St. Olaf is a place where I have found people interested in my success. I am an independent student. I don’t have a family supporting me financially or emotionally. That can be a lot to deal with. The connections I have made at St. Olaf have helped me gain a better understanding of what I need to succeed as a student and in the professional working world.”
—James Barnett ’08, St. Olaf College

“I thought the classes would be really tough, but the professors turned out to pleasantly surprise me and the small class sizes really make it a homey environment.”
—Chau Pham '03, University of St. Thomas

Have additional questions or want more information about our colleges? Please contact us to let us know.

Our colleges
Augsburg College
  • Located in Minneapolis with abundant opportunities to gain experience both inside and outside the classroom.
  • National recognition for an effective first-year program and for combining learning with service.
  • Top majors are business, science, teaching
  • A diverse community of 3,000 students
Bethany Lutheran College
  • Located in Mankato overlooking the Minnesota River Valley
  • A community of 540 students -- most live on campus
  • Popular majors include business administration, communication, psychology, and elementary education
  • Focus is on a solid, Christian education
Bethel University
  • Located on a residential, wooded campus in a Twin Cities suburb
  • Enrolls 5,600 students in 100 undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs
  • Integrates faith, learning and the translation of Christian belief into global service
  • 20 international programs; top 3 percent ranking of students who study in foreign countries
Carleton College
  • Residential campus in the small community of Northfield
  • Ranked one of the country's top liberal arts colleges
  • Noted for its bright and talented students and strong faculty
  • Enrollment of 2,000 students of diverse backgrounds
College of Saint Benedict
  • Together with Saint John's -- 3,800 undergraduate students have many opportunities
  • Located on 3,200 acres of woods and lakes west of St. Cloud
  • A focus on globalism includes an extensive international study program
  • A commitment to experiential learning, research and internships
St. Catherine University
  • Largest and most comprehensive Catholic college for women in the U.S.
  • Beautiful campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis
  • Committed to meeting the educational needs of women of all ages; offers liberal arts, healthcare and professional programs in traditional and weekend formats
  • Serves 5,000 students
College of St. Scholastica
  • Main campus in Duluth; also in St. Paul, St. Cloud, Brainerd
  • Undergraduate and graduate programs in traditional, accelerated and online formats
  • Top majors: Health information management, management, education, nursing
  • 3,200 students; 1,940 undergraduates on Duluth campus
  • U.S. News ranking in top tier of Midwestern universities
Concordia College
  • Located in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area that includes 20,000+ college students
  • Serves more than 2,700 students
  • Top programs include the sciences, education and music
  • Recipient of NAFSA Simon Award for Campus Internationalization
  • Home of world-renowned Concordia Language Villages
Concordia University
  • Located in the St. Paul metro area
  • Serves 1,500 undergraduate and 300 graduate students of all ages and backgrounds
  • Top majors include Christian education, business and teacher education
  • A laptop university with 24/7 Web access
Gustavus Adolphus College
  • Oldest Lutheran college in Minnesota; Swedish heritage; home of the Nobel Conference
  • Beautiful residential campus located in St. Peter, overlooking the Minnesota River Valley
  • Prepares 2,500 undergraduates for lives of leadership, service and lifelong learning
  • Recognized science, writing, music, athletics, study-abroad, and service-learning programs
Hamline University
  • Ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive universities according to U.S. News
  • 4,400 undergraduate, graduate, and law students
  • Located in residential neighborhood of St. Paul
  • Intimate environment of small classes and personal attention along with the opportunities of a comprehensive university
Macalester College
  • 1,900 undergraduates come from every state and 90 countries
  • Located in a friendly St. Paul neighborhood
  • Emphasis on global perspectives; more than half study abroad
  • Produced many Fulbright and Rhodes scholars
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
  • 700 students; 14 majors in fine arts, media and design
  • Located next to the Children's Theater and Minneapolis Institute of Arts
  • Studio-based and business-oriented programs; BFA, BS and MFA degrees
  • Only art and design school to be named a Best Midwestern College by Princeton Review
Saint John's University
  • Together with Saint Benedict -- 3,800 undergraduate students have many opportunities
  • Located on 3,200 acres of woods and lakes west of St. Cloud.
  • A focus on globalism includes an extensive international study program
  • A commitment to experiential learning, research, internships
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • Values-based, results-oriented education in the Catholic, Lasallian tradition
  • Outstanding environment for learning, living and recreation
  • 400-acre Winona campus in the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley
  • 1,300 traditional undergraduates, with 4,100 graduate and professional students at other locations
St. Olaf College
  • Environmentally aware, 300-acre residential campus in historic Northfield
  • 3,000 students; top majors are music, mathematics and the sciences
  • Nation's top liberal arts college for study abroad
  • College of the Lutheran church -- where conversations about faith are part of daily life
University of St. Thomas
  • Minnesota's largest private university with 10,500 students (5,500 undergraduates)
  • 95 undergraduate majors
  • Main campuses located in a stately St. Paul neighborhood and in downtown Minneapolis (other campuses in Owatonna, Minn. and Rome, Italy)

THE FACTS: 2010